Indian Fig

At a glance

Origin / distribution: South Africa, China, Spain, Mauritius, Haiti, Dr, Argentina, Sicily

Cultural traditions: not documented

Recorded uses: Burn(Radiation), Callus, Diabetes, Diarrhea

Science studied: ALANINE, ARGININE, ASH, ASPARTIC-ACID

Research volume: 0 indexed records · volume only · methodology ↗

Legal status: Varies by jurisdiction; not assessed in this record.

Names and identity

Family: Cactaceae

Scientific name: Opuntia ficus-indica

Common names: Indian Fig, Prickly Pear, Nopal, Nopalito, Arumbeba-cuí, Arumbeba-de-palma-rajada, Bajtar ta' Gindja, Bajtar tax-xewk, Barbary fig, Barbary-fig, Barberry Fig, Chumbeira, Cochineal Fig, Common Prickly Pear, English Prickly-Pear, Feigenkaktus, Fico d'India, Figavaisė opuncija, Figenkaktus

POWO: 1151735-2 · WCVP June 2026 / POWO backbone

History

The source record documents this plant in Elsewhere, South Africa, China, Spain, Mauritius, Haiti, Dr, Argentina and 3 additional places.

It records these historical or traditional applications:

• Burn(Radiation)
• Callus
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Emollient
• Favus
• Internulcer
• Piles

This summary is limited to the cited source record.

Origins and distribution

• Elsewhere
• South Africa
• China
• Spain
• Mauritius
• Haiti
• Dr
• Argentina
• Sicily
• Ethiopia
• US(SC)

Documented cultural uses

• Burn(Radiation)
• Callus
• Diabetes
• Diarrhea
• Emollient
• Favus
• Internulcer
• Piles
• Scald
• Tumor
• Wound
• Decongestant

Cultural record detail

These entries are transcribed from the cited ethnobotanical source; they do not represent current advice or a claim of efficacy.

• Burn(Radiation) · Elsewhere · "
• Callus · South Africa · "
• Diabetes · Elsewhere · "
• Diarrhea · China · "
• Emollient · Elsewhere · "
• Emollient · Spain · "
• Favus · China · "
• Internulcer · Elsewhere · "
• Piles · China · "
• Scald · Elsewhere · "
• Tumor · Mauritius · "
• Tumor · Haiti · "
• Wound · Elsewhere · "
• Decongestant · Elsewhere · "
• Sore · Elsewhere · "
• Tumor · Dr · "
• Corn · Argentina · "
• Kidney · Sicily · "
• Leprosy · Ethiopia · "
• Measles · Sicily · "
• Sunburn · Elsewhere · "
• Tumor · US(SC) · "
• Diuretic · Elsewhere · "

Contemporary uses

Contemporary practice is not documented separately in this record.

Scientific research

Indexed records indicate research activity; they do not establish efficacy or safety.

Indexed research records

• Characterization of Films Based on Opuntia ficus-indica and Pectin. · 2026 source ↗
• C3 photosynthetic activity in ephemeral leaflets of the constitutive CAM species Opuntia ficus-indica. · 2026 source ↗
• Opuntia ficus-indica ethanolic extract attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation in BALB/c mice. · 2026 source ↗

Scientific compounds

Chemical presence is not evidence of clinical efficacy.

• ALANINE
• ARGININE
• ASH
• ASPARTIC-ACID
• CALCIUM
• CARBOHYDRATES
• BETA-CAROTENE
• CELLULOSE
• COPPER
• CYSTEINE
• FAT
• FIBER
• GALACTURONIC-ACID
• GLUCOSE
• GLUTAMIC-ACID
• GLYCINE

Legality

CITES: Appendix II

II — FAMILY listing Cactaceae spp. — Except the species included in Appendix I and except Pereskia spp., Pereskiopsis spp. and Quiabentia spp. Artificially propagated specimens of the following hybrids and/or cultivars are not subject to the provisions of the Convention: Hatiora x graeseri ; Schlumbergera x buckleyi ; Schlumbergera russelliana x Schlumbergera truncata ; Schlumbergera orssichiana x Schlumbergera truncata ; Schlumbergera opuntioides x Schlumbergera truncata ; Schlumbergera truncata (cultivars); Cactaceae spp. colour mutants grafted on the following grafting stocks Harrisia 'Jusbertii', Hylocereus trigonus or Hylocereus undatus ; Opuntia microdasys (cultivars). — 05/03/2026

Jurisdictions in the listing: Argentina (AR), Dominican Republic (DO), Ecuador (EC), Guadeloupe (GP), Mexico (MX), Morocco (MA), Paraguay (PY), Peru (PE), Puerto Rico (PR), Saint Kitts and Nevis (KN), United States of America (US), Uruguay (UY), Virgin Islands of the USA (VI)

View the Species+ record ↗

This is an international trade listing, not a complete statement of country-specific law.

Reference images

Sources

Plants of the World Online (POWO) · Kew data terms; cite POWO/WCVP

World Checklist of Vascular Plants (WCVP) · CC BY 3.0

CC0 · Dr. Duke raw CSV archive

Contributions and revisions

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